Fr. Z's Blog

There are two good recent commentaries available about the dark works of the relentless Jesuit homosexualist activist James Martin.

At Crisis there is a piece by Kevin Wells which compares Martin’s works to those of Fred Rogers.   My emphases.

Mr. Rogers, a Presbyterian minister, seemed remarkably untethered to anyone or anything outside of his Christ-appointed mission to help children see their own unique dignity and value. He knew of life’s monsters; his mission was to ennoble children before the monsters could strike.

For several years now, Fr. James Martin, appearing like-minded, has been tender-hearted in his care for those experiencing same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria. Unlike Mr. Rogers, Fr. Martin seems to be enabling rather than ennobling. And it is for this reason that he has become one of the monsters.

[…]

It’s a shame, because it doesn’t have to be this way. Fr. Martin could die a saint and be remembered as one of the great forces for good in this world if he decides to be a Catholic priest rooted in the fullness of Truth.

Recently, Fr. Martin tweeted, “Interesting: ‘Where the Bible mentions [homosexual] behavior at all, it clearly condemns it. I freely grant that. The issue is precisely whether the biblical judgment is correct.’ ” This tweet marked the moment when Fr. Martin could have been converted by a hailstorm of fraternal correction from fellow priests and clergy. But nothing happened. Bishops and priests—save a very few—remained mute in the aftermath of the offending tweet.

Because of Fr. Martin’s Mr. Rogers-like warmth, friendly smile [“La faccia sua era faccia d’uom giusto…”] and accompanying words, many millions—gay and straight alike—have rooted themselves to him. He is regarded as the long-muted prophetic voice of God. And because so many thousands of bishops and priests have muted their own prophetic voice on the complementarity of the sexes, Fr. Martin’s subterranean fight to normalize homosexual relations and same-sex marriage has been emboldened and advanced. His words, tweets, and thoughts will continue to spread throughout the world like an invisible poisonous gas.

Mr. Rogers was rooted to God in accompanying children. He unearthed and remedied the wounds caused by fathers; Fr. Martin affirms those wounds.

[…]

Invisible poisonous gas.

Next, Fr. Dwight Longenecker comments on Martin’s inevitable whine about the denial of Communion to an openly Lesbian judge in Michigan who civilly “married” a women in Michigan.  Fr. Scott Nolan of the Diocese of Grand Rapids denied her Communion.  She went to the press.  There was a hideously biased hit piece published, to which I reacted HERE.  The local bishop wound up backing the priest, thanks be to God.

Of course it was only a matter of micro-seconds before inveterate tweeter Martin stuck his nose in.

Fr. Longenecker dissects some of Martin’s tweets about the affair.  Here is one, just as a sample.  My emphases and comments:

James Martin: As with all these sad cases, the question is: Why are only married LGBT people being singled out? Is Communion denied to all parishioners who are not following church teachings? That is, married couples using birth control or IVF? Or young people engaging in pre-marital sex?

DL: LGBT people are not being “singled out” for not following church teachings.  Ms Smolenski was not denied communion because she is a lesbian. She is not even being denied communion for being in a lesbian relationship. She is being denied communion because she “married” another woman. [She committed scandal. In can. 915 the Church focuses on public acts that cause scandal.] This is not simply a matter of “not following church teachings.” By attempting a marriage with a woman Ms Smolenski publicly, formally and irremediably denied the Catholic teaching about marriage. [The judge could remedy the situation by publicly announcing a civil divorce and then publicly denouncing what she did,with an expression if adherence to the Church’s teachings.That would help to repair the scandal she caused.]

Marriage is a Catholic sacrament. It is one of the means of grace. For it to be a valid sacrament it requires proper form, minister and matter. The proper matter is the conjugal act. The proper ministers are the man and woman marrying one another. Therefore to attempt a same sex marriage is not simply “not following church teachings” it is rejecting church teachings and doing so formally and publicly. When a Catholic attempts a same sex marriage they are rejecting the Catholic teaching about the sacraments.

That Fr Martin does not admit this or teach this indicates either that he is very poorly educated (but he is a Jesuit so that can’t be the case) or he is deliberately misleading God’s people.

Attempting to marry a person of the same sex is not at the same level of commitment as a couple using birth control or IVF or someone committing fornication. All these sins are private sins and can be repented of. [They are “occult”, private, not publicly known.  That can be taken care of in the confessional.  Civil marriage is a public act.] In a same sex marriage the person is not just “not following church teaching.” They are rejecting church teaching.  They are saying by their words and actions, “Gay sex is not a sin. It is something to be celebrated. It is something God blesses. The Catholic Church is wrong and I am publicly, formally declaring that I reject the Catholic Church’s teaching.”

In other words it is not breaking the rules it is rejecting the rules and in rejecting the rules rejecting the authority that sets those rules.

This distinction is something any eighth grade confirmation student could understand.  [Hence, Martin understands it.  He just rejects it.]

It is important to know what the homosexualists are doing.  They are patiently, though less and less so, engaging in a kind of permineralization process, like to how over time minerals replace organic matter to create fossiles.   The homosexualists are trying to replace the Church’s clear teaching with ambiguities that cause doubt and then self-justification.   Note how, some time ago, Martin admitted that Scriptures clearly state that homosexual acts are sins.  Then, incredibly, he called into question the veracity of Scripture, suggesting that Scripture is wrong.

Interesting: “Where the Bible mentions [same-sex sexual] behavior at all, it clearly condemns it. I freely grant that. The issue is precisely whether the biblical judgment is correct. The Bible sanctioned slavery as well and nowhere attacked it as unjust.. https://t.co/52jL6NDgRu

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 23, 2019

Kevin Wells is reminded of a darker version of Fred Rogers.

I, rather, am reminded of Geryon from the Divine Comedy.

Ecco la fiera con la coda aguzza,
che passa i monti e rompe i muri e l’armi!
Ecco colei che tutto il mondo appuzza!

Lately, I’ve been thinking much about Augustine and his conversion.  What an enormous leap he made, with grace-emboldened courage.  What a magnificent contribution he subsequently made, worthy of multiplying honors for all time.  Wells made a really good point.  Martin could be so much more, do such good.